What to Do When Someone Dies in Slovakia: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Hospital or residential care facility deaths: When a death occurs in a hospital, clinic, or inpatient care institution in Slovakia, the attending physician conducts the mandatory post-mortem examination (prehliadka mŕtveho tela) and issues the official Report on the Examination of the Deceased and Statistical Report on Death (List o prehliadke mŕtveho a štatistické hlásenie o úmrtí) [1]. The healthcare facility transmits the documentation electronically or directly to the competent local registry office (matričný úrad) and releases the body to your licensed funeral service after statutory cooling and examination intervals are met [1].
   • Deaths at home or outside a medical facility: If your family member dies at home, contact the emergency medical service (155 or 112) so an examining physician designated by the Health Care Surveillance Authority (Úrad pre dohľad nad zdravotnou starostlivosťou - ÚDZS) can perform the external medical examination at the place of death and issue the examination report [1].
   • Unexpected, sudden, or forensic deaths: Where the cause of death is unclear, sudden, or potentially linked to an external event, the examining physician or the Police Force (Policajný zbor) orders a forensic or pathological-anatomical autopsy through the Health Care Surveillance Authority before burial or cremation clearance can be granted [1].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Civil Registry (*Matričný úrad*)

   • Competent authority and statutory timeline: Under Slovak civil registry rules administered under the oversight of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo vnútra Slovenskej republiky), a death is registered in the Death Book (kniha úmrtí) by the local registry office (matričný úrad) responsible for the municipality or city district where the death occurred [1]. The examining doctor must notify the registry office within three working days of the post-mortem examination (or upon completion of a forensic autopsy) [1].
   • Documents required for registration: Either a close relative or your authorised funeral provider submits the medical examination report along with the deceased's Slovak identity card (občiansky preukaz), birth certificate (rodný list), marriage certificate (sobášny list) if applicable, and health insurance card [1]. If the deceased was a foreign citizen, their passport and residence permit must be presented [1].
   • Issuance of the official Death Certificate (Úmrtný list): Once recorded, the registry office issues the first official Death Certificate (úmrtný list) free of charge and forwards the deceased's cancelled identity document to the police [1]. Additional official extracts or multilingual standard forms for use within the European Union can be requested in person or online through the Central Public Administration Portal (Ústredný portál verejnej správy) using an electronic identity card [1] [4].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Engaging a licensed funeral service (Pohrebná služba): Under Slovak Act No. 131/2010 Coll. on Funeral Services, transport, preparation, burial, and cremation must be performed by a licensed funeral operator [1] [2]. A burial or cremation may take place once the examining physician and the civil registry have confirmed that no autopsy is required and issued the burial permit [1].
   • Burial and cremation rules: Traditional inhumation or cremation is arranged with the municipal cemetery administration or crematorium after at least 48 hours have elapsed from the time of death (unless an autopsy has already been completed) [1]. For cremation, verify that the medical report explicitly clears cremation and that no objection exists.
   • International repatriation and document legalisation: If your family member's mortal remains or ashes are to be transported outside Slovakia, the funeral director obtains a laissez-passer for a corpse (pas pre mŕtvolu) from the Regional Public Health Authority (Regionálny úrad verejného zdravotníctva), requiring hermetically sealed zinc-lined coffins for body transport [1]. For documents used abroad, EU Member States accept the Slovak death certificate with a multilingual standard form under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, whereas non-EU jurisdictions require an Apostille from the competent regional authority or Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, or consular legalisation [1].
4. 4

   Notify Authorities and Claim Funeral and Survivor Benefits

   • State funeral allowance (Príspevok na pohreb): An adult natural person who arranged the funeral in Slovakia may claim the statutory one-off funeral allowance through the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny Slovenskej republiky) via the local Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (Úrad práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny - ÚPSVaR) according to the deceased's last permanent or temporary residence [2] [5]. Both the applicant and the deceased must have had permanent or temporary residence in Slovakia, and the claim must be filed within one year of the date of burial using the funeral home confirmation and death certificate [2].
   • Survivor pensions (Pozostalostné dôchodky): Notify the Social Insurance Agency (Sociálna poisťovňa) to terminate the deceased's old-age or disability pension and apply for a widow's or widower's pension (vdovský alebo vdovecký dôchodok) or orphan's pension (sirotský dôchodok) [3]. Applications can be submitted at any branch of the Social Insurance Agency or electronically via the Central Public Administration Portal [3] [4].
   • Health insurance, banks, tax, and utilities: The civil registry notifies the Health Care Surveillance Authority, which updates the deceased's health insurer, though any physical health card and borrowed medical equipment should be returned [1]. Present the death certificate to Slovak banks so they can freeze sole accounts pending succession, cancel standing orders where permitted, and review any joint or beneficiary-designated products, and notify utilities, telecommunications providers, and the local municipal tax office (for real estate tax and waste fees) [4].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate and Notarial Succession Proceedings (*Dedičské konanie*)

   • Automatic court initiation and notary appointment: In Slovakia, heirs do not need to file a petition to open probate. As soon as the registry office registers the death, it automatically notifies the competent district court (okresný súd) for the deceased's last permanent residence [1] [6]. The court opens succession proceedings ex officio and assigns a notary public (notár) registered with the Notarial Chamber of the Slovak Republic (Notárska komora Slovenskej republiky) to act as court commissioner (súdny komisár) according to a strict statutory court rotation schedule [6].
   • Preliminary inquiry and register of wills: The appointed notary contacts the person who arranged the funeral to conduct a preliminary investigation (predbežné vyšetrenie), identify statutory and testamentary heirs, query the Notarial Central Register of Wills (Notársky centrálny register závetov), and compile an inventory of assets and liabilities (bank balances, real estate in the cadastre, vehicles, and debts) [6].
   • Succession resolution, tax rules, and cross-border estates: Following the succession hearing, the notary issues an official Certificate of Inheritance or Court Resolution (uznesenie o dedičstve), which serves as the legal title to unfreeze bank accounts and update the real estate cadastre [6]. Slovakia abolished inheritance tax in 2004, so heirs do not pay inheritance tax on the estate, though statutory notarial fees apply based on the net value of the estate [6]. If assets or heirs are located across multiple EU countries, the notary applies EU Succession Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 and can issue a European Certificate of Succession (Európske osvedčenie o dedičstve) [6].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Request for Issuance of Original Death Certificate - Life Situations — Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic
2. [2]
   Funeral Allowance (Príspevok na pohreb) - Family and Social Assistance — Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic
3. [3]
   How to Apply for a Widow's or Widower's Pension (Ako požiadať o vdovský dôchodok) — Social Insurance Agency (Sociálna poisťovňa)
4. [4]
   Central Public Administration Portal - Electronic Citizen Services — Slovensko.sk (NASES)
5. [5]
   Offices of Labour, Social Affairs and Family - State Social Support — Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (ÚPSVaR)
6. [6]
   Notarial Chamber of the Slovak Republic - Succession and Notarial Services — Notárska komora Slovenskej republiky